Chef Michael Salmon - Join me in my Kitchen
For this recipe I took a traditional Asian dish, shrimp toast, and used Maine lobster to create a recipe with a Maine twist. The shrimp version (also explained in the recipe) is much easier and quicker to produce since the meat is easily removed from its shell, or can be purchased pre-peeled. Raw lobster meat sticks to the shell, so in this recipe I quickly blanch the lobster just enough to release the meat from the shell.
These lobster cakes are quite different from your usual “crab cake”. When I created this recipe, I wanted to create a seafood cake that showcased the two main ingredients of lobster and avocado without the distractions of binders and heavy seasoning. When you make these cakes, you will notice that you have to spend a little more time forming and maintaining the shape of the cakes. There is very little binder in this recipe which is part of the reason they are so good. So take your time and be patient…and enjoy!
With tomatoes ripening in my garden and leftover pieces of my sourdough bread accumulating in the freezer, it’s time to whip up a Panzanella Salad. I often elevate the salad to another level with the addition of cooked seafood. You can grill, poach, steam or sauté the seafood, just be careful to not overcook it. The other option is to buy seafood that is already cooked for you like crabmeat and shrimp to simplify this recipe.
Gnocchi are small Italian dumplings usually made with potatoes. I have added fresh dill to the gnocchi dough which pairs nicely with the Maine lobster and cream sauce.
Over my 23 years at the Hartstone Inn, this was among the most popular items on my menus. Vanilla may seem like an unusual companion for lobster at first, but once you taste sweet and succulent Maine lobster with this sauce, you will fully appreciate how dramatic this matching can be.
Join me in my kitchen as I prepare recipes from my two cookbooks, European foodie trips and explore new inspirations.
